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The time after high school graduation, when college or a career looms overhead, stands as one of the most grueling periods of one’s life when it comes to personal finances. Necessary expenditures fly in from all sides, bombarding their victims with stress and anxiety over how to pay for everything and stay afloat without ending up crushed underneath overwhelming debt. Fortunately, financial experts as well as “civilians" who came before have flocked to the internet in order to provide others with peace of mind regarding the best way to seize control of their money. Although their advice does not take the place of a consultation with a professional, these bloggers serve to quell the emotional turmoil that frequently accompanies the mid-20s with sage research and experiential anecdotes. The following - listed in no particular order - exist as some of the best that the internet has to offer, but by no means does it discount the contributions of others as well. Be sure to explore what other personal finance sites have to say in order to piece together a broad picture and fully understand how their money works.
One of the quintessential blogs for college students and young professionals, David Weliver’s Money Under 30 specifically targets the financial issues that their target audience face daily. Savings accounts, personal budgets, mortgages, credit cards, and getting out of debt responsibly comprise the majority of the content here. Even those over the age of 30 can benefit from the contributors’ snippets of common-sense advice - most especially when it comes to saving for retirement and making wise consumer decisions.
Poorer Than You pulls from personal experiences as well as research to give 20-somethings a straightforward resource on taking control of their finances. One does not have to come from a background in accounting or other fiscal career paths to understand the advice contained therein. Pretty much all of the content comes straight from blogger Stephanie’s own ups and downs as she attempts to navigate college and real life - making this a great personal finance blog that most readers can definitely relate to.
Jenny Blake’s blog comes chock full of advice for surviving the big, scary real world without the crutch of college or Mommy. She understandably devotes a portion of the site to financial matters, with others revolving around organizing one’s life and launching a hopefully lucrative and rewarding career. Anyone seeking personal finance advice that comes bundled with tips and tricks on gaining and maintaining independence once the diploma’s been conferred would do well to drop by this valuable resource.
4. Studenomics
Debt stands as one of the biggest concerns for college students, recent graduates, and upstart professionals. Studenomics may focus on a broad spectrum of financial topics suitable for the novice, but helping its readers slough off their pressing monetary burdens remains one of the blog’s main goals. Other topics to explore include traveling on a budget, saving money, personal budgeting, handling credit cards, bank accounts, and more. Its accessible, easy-to-process content makes it a must-bookmark for any young person in need of responsible fiscal advice.
As the title quite obviously implies, this blog’s content involves fiscal matters of concern to a younger, more inexperienced demographic. Everything from wise investments to saving for retirement at the start of one’s career crops up here, and any college student (or other individual in that age bracket) in need of tips on monetarily caring for themselves would do well to check out what 20 Something Finance has to say. Anyone concerned about remaining environmentally friendly without breaking the bank needs to check out the special section on the topic.
The current crop of youngsters faces down their own unique fiscal struggles, and Jeremy Vohwinkle’s blog emphasizes what Generations X and Y have to look forward to once they transition into the real world. Anyone with a little money to spare - or needing to drop hints for birthday gifts - should browse the recommended books available for purchase directly from Amazon.com. Vohwinkle’s straightforward tips on everything from getting out of debt to stopping other financial issues before they start (and all the other related topics) can resonate with anyone in precarious financial straits.
Those of college age ought to pop by 20s Money Blog for some great advice on handling their money responsibly. Wise spending can actually result in wise savings, and anyone willing to take the risk of an intelligent, informed investment needs to check this resource for information. Beyond the excellent, easy-to-follow tidbits regarding managing money, the blog also provides insight into the current economic climate to help readers learn how to find a broader context for their personal situations.
8. Beyond Paycheck to Paycheck
In spite of aiming at a broader audience, all of the tips and tricks for financial security available at Beyond Paycheck to Paycheck certainly benefit those just beginning their journey of independence. With sections on budgeting and balancing, saving money, and chipping away at debt, the common sense advice provided by 36-year-old Michael B. Rubin certainly speaks to the younger demographics’ specific needs. Those hoping to plan ahead for retirement also have plenty of useful resources to browse as well.
Matt Jabs of Debt Free Adventure opens up and intimately shares the lessons he learns while struggling to throw off the yoke of pressing arrears. There is quite a bit here for the under-30 crowd to process, and he hopes that discussing such personal matters in an open forum serves as a valuable lesson in preventing mounting debt and confronting it when it does pop up. Other sections deal with the responsibilities of taxes, savings, and donations - all of which affect the personal finances of the newly independent.
10. Wise Bread
This highly respected (and intelligent!) personal finance blog may not specifically aim to please Generations X and Y, but it does tailor all of its articles to anyone hoping to maintain responsible personal finances while heavily budgeted. Wise Bread certainly speaks to the unique needs of anyone in this situation, and proves that one can still live well without plunging into massive amounts of debt or other perilous financial straits. Be sure to check out the forums and connect with others on more budgeting tips as well as some informative, money-saving life hacks.
11. WalletPop
AOL’s WalletPop blog provides everything a newly financially independent individual needs to manage their money responsibly - and hopefully lucratively as well! They provide a glut of advice on all elements of personal finance, including how to properly handle credit cards, investing, insurance, and taxes (among others). Be sure to take advantage of their online calculators as well. For the novice and seasoned “professional" alike, they make for a handy, convenient way to check on debt, mortgages, paychecks, and other common expenditures.
12. BeingFrugal.net
Unless graduation resulted in a fortuitous financial windfall straight out of Charles Dickens, pretty much anyone getting started in their careers (regardless of whether or not they went to college) can benefit from BeingFrugal.net’s amazing money-saving (and making!) advice. All of the tips outlined here foster basic money management skills to carry out of young adulthood and into - gulp! - middle age and retirement. One does not always have to stick with a frugal lifestyle until death, of course, but there are times that doing so staves off debt and other fiscal problems.
13. The Dough Roller
For the more advanced 20-something, The Dough Roller provides information on building one’s investment portfolio, banking, insurance, credit cards, and some of the best financial deals going. It may not cover personal finance issues that affect young people as much as the others on this list, but those with a very firm grasp of the basics may appreciate how the more advanced practices can benefit them. The investment and banking section is especially useful for those hoping to fluff up their nest egg.
3 men collaborate to bring readers the latest news, opinions, and ideas regarding personal finances and consumer information. One of the pitfalls of living in a society that extols extrinsic possessions over intrinsic virtues is the urge to overspend - and oftentimes fall prey to scams or defective products. Keeping up with Consumerism Commentary helps the younger, comparatively more naïve, demographics (and everyone else!) make the right choices when it comes to resigning their personal budgets with social pressures.
15. My Two Dollars
Touting itself as “a place to discuss money…for the rest of us," My Two Dollars appeals to both young financial novices as well as older individuals who find themselves overwhelmed by the dizzying technicalities of insurance, banking, investments, budgeting, and other fiscal constructs. Contributors pull from their personal experiences and research to bring down-to-earth advice suitable for those who can’t tell their dividends from their diversified portfolios - making this a nice start for readers in their 20s.
16. Get Rich Slowly
The bloggers behind Get Rich Slowly specifically target visitors who aren’t experts when it comes to finances. They cover very real issues such as mortgages, investments, budgeting, debt, credit cards, and insurance without delving too far into confusing jargon and esoteric beliefs and practices. By taking such a straightforward, no-nonsense approach, the Get Rich Slowly crew appeals to the post-high school crowd in need of sound tips to help them minimize debt and make wise, well-informed financial choices.
17. Man vs. Debt
Emphasizing finding happiness through financial stability and dissolving debt, Adam Baker outlines his personal experiences and hopes that what he’s picked up along the way will be of value to others. It may not be expert advice, but what Baker has to say about selling off junk, living within one’s means, and other financially empowering actions definitely rings true to the needs of individuals (and new families) in their 20s. He proves that it’s possible to find one’s bliss without wringing hands too much over monetary issues.
18. Budgets Are Sexy
One doesn’t have to spend exorbitant amounts of money to enjoy life, contrary to what the advertising agencies have to say! This lighthearted blog shares the basics of budgeting and other financial matters, even offering downloads and templates to help the utterly baffled get started on taking control of their money. A healthy budget leads to a healthy bank account, allowing individuals to better visualize their holdings and expenditures and maintain a realistic outlook on what aspects of their lives can and cannot be financially compromised.
More financially savvy youngsters with a few investments to their name will appreciate the simple, effective advice found at former Edward Jones financial advisor Mike Piper’s blog. When executed right, investments can help those in their 20s turn the little money they frequently possess into something greater - and more comfortable! Piper himself has yet to reach the big 3-0 yet as well, so much of his content takes on appropriate tone for younger adults needing to make it on their own.
20. Five Cent Nickel
Audiences of all ages and budgets can find something to appreciate with Five Cent Nickel, which covers all the basics for those either just starting out or finding themselves in need of a wee push. Learn how to keep track of mortgages, savings, markets, CDs, insurance, and credit cards in order to maintain a healthy state of personal finance. The blog may not specifically target readers in their 20s, but the content sure does resonate across temporal as well as fiscal boundaries.
Taking advice from these bloggers (and their contemporaries who didn’t necessarily make the cut but still have plenty of valuable things to say!) certainly helps those in their 20s make the right choices when it comes to seizing control of their personal finances. They may not necessarily take the place of a professional financial advisor, but their tips, tricks, and life hacks can definitely pave the way towards fiscal independence and security for the hopefully long road ahead.
